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Thursday, 9 January 2014

Pork Indad is one of those classic Indian dishes, that truly is a combination of communities that have made India the cultural melting pot that it is. Originally derived from the vindalho, pork indad is similar dish, but one that is made by the Mangalorean Catholic community.

These, technically, are some unusual flavours for
South India, mint, for example, and rum. This is the influence of the Portuguese community, and results in a dish that takes in Portuguese ingredients and marries them to Indian spices. The resulting combination is a heavenly one, of tender melt-in-your-mouth pieces of pork, enveloped in a sweet/ spicy sauce, with the heady aromas of mint and a good kick of rum at the end.

This one of my absolute favourite pork dishes. I used to carry it all the way to Delhi when I was at University there... a whole three days on the train, nibbling at it every so often. I always promised my friends the taste of pork indad, and sadly, none would remain by the time I actually got to the hostel. Burp.

Pork indad is a traveller's dish. The meat is first salted, and then cooked to the point of preservation, after which a good glug of rum is added at the end in order to 'preserve' the meat even more, and make it suitable for carrying on long journeys. Today, pork indad is synonymous with the Catholic community, with each household boasting their very own recipes. This is a recipe that was originally given to me by my mom, who makes a really delicious indad. Over the years, I have refined it, using techniques that I learned at work, and while the method is not strictly traditional, the taste absolutely is spot on. I am reposting this recipe, as I recently made it again for my uncle, an ardent foodie and food historian, and we ran through the recipe, making a few more tweaks as we went along. My mother actually ground the ingredients for the sauce in her giant mortar and pestle, and I'll be honest, that is one aspect of this dish that really cannot be replicated with a mixer, as I have found to my cost. Canadian airlines do frown on excess baggage though, so I sadly have to leave the heavy beast behind :)

In a heavy pan, dry roast the chillies, cumin, pepper, cinnamon and cloves, one by one, for about 30 second to a minute, until fragrant. Blend until finely powdered.

In the same pan, dry fry the onion for a few minutes until the raw smell has disappeared and the onions are very lightly toasted.Add the ginger and garlic, and fry for another minute. Remove to a blender, and add the green chili, tamarind, vinegar and mint leaves. Process to a fine paste. Add the spice mix, and blend until well mixed. Add a splash of water to help the process, if required.

Heat the oil in a a heavy based pot. Add the salted pork slices, and fry on a high heat, in batches, until the meat is caramelised and sealed. Remove to a plate, leaving any rendered fat behind.

Deglaze the pot with the rum. Add the onion-spice paste to the pot, and saute for a few minutes, scraping up any caramelised bits. Turn down the heat, and fry this masala for about 15 minutes, stirring often. The oil and fat will start to separate at this point. Season with a little salt.

Add the 1/2 cup water or stock to the pot and simmer gently, until the sauce is quite thick.

Gently lower the fried pork into the sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then stir until the slices are well coated with the masala. Add a little more water, if required, and simmer the pork on a low heat for at least an hour, topping up with more water is the sauce looks dry. The meat should be fork tender once it is cooked and the sauce should be thick, but not dry.

Season generously with the salt and sugar to taste, then stir in the rum.

Simmer for a few more minutes, then take off the heat and garnish with the fresh mint leaves. This dish tastes best if made a day ahead, and left to mature in the fridge. Reheat and serve with sannas, pulav rice or fresh bread.

11 comments
:

Now that really has me drooling at an improbably early time in the morning - weirdly it's one of those recipes with which I can almost taste the finished product. And if it's anything like my imagination it is to die for. Once my new teeth are fitted !¬| (no jokes please) I'll almost certainly have a go at this. Looks brilliant for a winter dish. Thank you.

I love the flavour of rum in savoury dishes, although most of the dishes I make with rum are Caribbean recipes that I picked up in the 1980s. This is definitely different and definitely sounds delicious. So definitely worth trying.

What a dish! I have been slowly introducing Indian dishes to my family for the last 12 months now, ever since I came home from three years of traveling. I just made this tonight, my family and I happily devoured a large portion of it. I LOVED the masala. I can't wait for the rest of it to soak up the next 12hrs. You are my absolute favorite! I pick something from the list of your incredible creations at least once a week. Thank you for everything. Much, much love!

Hi Wzorin, because spices have different burning points. For example, cassia bark needs to be toasted for at least 1 minute, while cumin seeds are more delicate and take about 30 seconds. Chillies burn really easily too. If you are an experienced cook, then you can always toss the spices together in a hot pan for about 30 seconds to a minute, but avoid burnt spices, its worth toasting them one by one, until you feel more comfortable.

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